TV news crew attacked in RI while reporting story

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island TV station says a woman threw a rock, waved a baseball bat and urged her dogs to attack a news crew reporting on a kindergarten graduation party shooting.

WLNE-TV (http://bit.ly/11hru1i ) reports that its cameraman and reporter were trying to speak with the mother of a victim Tuesday after a teenage boy turned himself in to police. The girl was shot in the back and is recovering.

Video shows the mother, Melissa Lawrence, throwing a rock at them, wielding a baseball bat, screaming “Get away from me,” and directing her two pit bulls to attack. The dogs are shown biting reporter Abbey Niezgoda (niz-GOH’-dah) on her forearm.

WLNE says Niezgoda received a tetanus shot.

Lawrence was arrested and was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday on felony assault charges. A telephone listing for her couldn’t be found.